In most countries, the surge in unemployment between 2007 and 2010 was matched by an equally strong increase in the number of unemployment-benefit recipients. As more and more people became unemployed for longer periods of time, many of them exhausted their unemployment benefits and had to turn to social assistance for income support. In line with the improvement of labour market conditions observed started in 2013, in 2014 the number of unemployment-benefit recipients reached its lowest level since 2008.

Trends for the number of recipients of unemployment insurance and assistance (active labour market programmes are not included). Year 2007 = 100.
Unemployment programmes in Italy are not expressed in the same unit and could not be aggregated.

Trends in the ILO unemployed population. 2007 = 100. Unemployed individuals (according to the ILO definition) is a good proxy of the population targeted by unemployment benefits (UB). However, recipients of UB do not always meet the requirements to be considered as ILO unemployed.

Trends in the long-term ILO unemployed population. 2007 = 100. An individual is considered as long-term unemployed if he/she is currently unemployed and has been unemployed for continuous period 12 months or more.